Matamata trainer Glenn Old has welcomed home Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner Bizzwinkle (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) from his two start Australian campaign, but not in the manner he had hoped.
Bizzwinkle winning the 2018 Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) Photo: Race Images South
The son of Rip Van Winkle was showing promising signs in Australia in the care of trainer Patrick Payne before he injured a tendon.
“He’s back in New Zealand and is out at Eoin Kemp’s place at the moment,” Old said.
“He is just doing rehab on his tendon, which he tweaked in Australia. It is not major, but it is enough to put him out for nine months.”
Bizzwinkle had two starts in Victoria for a first-up 11th placing over 1700m at Flemington, while he impressed with his last start third-placing in the Benalla Gold Cup (2046m).
“They were both good, but the first one was too short for him,” Old said.
“We were ready to fire him up over a mile and a half and never quite got there. He did his tendon just after his Benalla Cup run.”
Old is taking a patient approach with the six-year-old gelding and said his future racing would likely remain closer to home.
“We will get him up for early spring next year. I think we will keep him closer to home, there is some money for him here.”
Old has had a bit of misfortune of late, with promising galloper Super Hoof (NZ) (Cape Blanco) also sidelined through injury.
The five-year-old son of Cape Blanco was showing a lot of potential on the track, winning three of his eight career starts, including back-to-back wins over 2100m in his last two starts.
Old was eyeing a Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) berth next month, but injury curtailed those plans.
“We’ve just had a bit of a niggle with him,” he said. “It’s not major, but just enough to keep him on the sidelines for a little bit.
“I had to pull him out of the New Zealand Cup because he missed so much work.
“Hopefully we can move forward with him in the next few days. If he is sound enough, we will push on and target some Cups through summer.
“I think he is very promising. He is still learning and it looks like he will stay all day.”
Although two of his stable stars are sitting on the sidelines, Old is looking forward to the future, with the potential of having two leading prospects for next year’s New Zealand Cup.
